Sword Lilies in Bloom
by Arianne 08
Summary: The friendship between Katara and Zuko is gradually turning into a much deeper feeling. Yet Sozin's Comet is arriving. Will they figure out what really matters in the unstable times during and after the war? Lots of mysteries and adventures, seasoned with drama and humor, perfect for all fans of zutara.
1. Broken Ice

_Hello to all avatar fans out there! This is my very first fanfiction. I decided to start writing it after re-watching the whole series and completely falling in love with zutara. At first it was supposed to be a one-shot, but with innumerable ideas constantly popping in my head, I have a feeling it will become a much longer story._

_The title of the story is symbolic and its meaning will be mentioned in the next chapters. So, the action starts in "The Southern Raiders" episode and to a certain extent follows the events till Sozin's Comet. But I assure you, this is **not** a transcript of the final episodes. I will add a lot of plot twists, new issues and whatever my zutarian imagination will suggest me :) I sincerely hope it will become a fascinating story that even non-zutarians will be eager to read._

_As for the rating, it's T, although there may be some 'gore' in the first chapter. At least for now, I do not intend to introduce any highly sexual themes._

_Now, I present to you… "Sword Lilies in Bloom"._

_And of course, I do not own "Avatar: the last airbender". All characters belong to Nickelodeon._

* * *

**Chapter 1: Broken Ice**

"As much as I hate you… I just can't do it."

Katara felt as if all her inner strength had left her. The tepid rain was streaming down her face, soaking her dark wavy hair and the black disguise. Only her eyes, burning bright blue like ice, several seconds ago gleaming with pure lust for vengeance, now cast down and empty, betrayed her true identity. Yon Rha was still kneeling in front of her, looking up at the resigned girl with a weak smile of relief. His hands were folded in his lap in a pleading manner, his body trembling like a leaf in a storm, both with the piercing cold and incapacitating fear. Drenched strands of long grey hair framed his wrinkled face. Zuko was standing silently at the waterbender's side, carefully watching the entire scene in awe. Somewhere in the distance a loud crash of thunder sounded ominously, causing the former leader of the Southern Raiders to tremble even more violently.

There she was, towering over the man who had ruined her life, the bastard who had taken her beloved mother away from her. It was her moment; his life depended on her and she could do whatever she desired. One quick move and the precious thin thread could be cut… yet Katara wasn't able to kill. Something was holding her back, making her feel weak and helpless. She recalled the moment she'd first seen him, back at the South Pole. There had been nothing she could do back then, nothing that could change her mother's fate. Sometimes she would blame herself for leaving her, yet she knew it had never been her fault. But things had changed; she wasn't the same girl anymore, the helpless little child who had run out of the tent just as her mother bid her to.

She lifted her gaze only to behold a shadow of triumph on the murderer's face. The pathetic thing _dared_ to look her in the eye. It was more than she could bear. She wanted him to feel her pain, to taste her fury, she wanted to let out the anger that had been dwelling inside her for so long. Rage contorted her face and she swiftly whirled around, collecting the raindrops about her before they hit the ground. In less than two heartbeats a shapeless ball of rainwater was created. Yon Rha's eyes widened in fear and he instinctively tried to shield himself with his arm again before she cried out and thrust the water at him with all the strength that was left in her. The cold liquid snuck into his nose and mouth, taking his breath away. The force of the wave knocked him down and he fell hard on his back, coughing and groaning.

That was it. She wasn't able to look at that filthy monster any longer. Her hands clenched into fists before she spun on her heel and marched away, her step slightly unsteady. Zuko glanced with utter disgust at the man who was now struggling to crawl away like a defeated animal running away with its tail between its legs. Eventually he turned around and followed Katara. He remained vigilant, though, in case the retired raider had a change of heart and decided to complete his task after years.

They wandered off undisturbed.

For several minutes they walked in utter silence through the pouring rain. They could hear only the howling of the wind and drops of water spattering on the leaves of the trees around them. Their boots were splattered with mud and the soaked garments hanged heavily on their shoulders. The landscape was monotonous; the grey of rocks, the clouded sky and the green of leaves were almost the only colors around. Tall trees grew on both sides of the path, standing like silent sentinels, as if carefully observing their every step. However, Katara was too absent to notice any of this. She wished to leave that place as quickly as possible, to fly back to the camp, see her friends again. Yet even though she'd just let all her anger out, she still had the feeling that she was coming back empty-handed, having accomplished nothing. She was unable to comprehend the reason why she'd suddenly decided to spare the murderer's life, since revenge had always been one of the major goals in her life. Why had she even agreed on this mission? She was at war within her own mind, feeling too much at once, beset by guilt and confusion.

All these thoughts suddenly came flooding to her and she halted. She leaned against a lone tree, her breath coming unusually fast, as if she'd just fought a fierce battle. The ground seemed to be almost escaping from under her feet and her eyes started filling up with tears. She didn't want to cry, not when Zuko was with her. The last thing she wanted was for him to see how weak she was. She noticed him looking at her with concern and tried to hide her face, choking back the tears.

"You did the right thing." she heard him say.

Katara knitted her eyebrows and nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance. It was too early to discuss the moral consequences of what she had… or rather hadn't done.

"I don't need your support." she snapped back at him, her voice cracking. She stormed away from him, only to stop again after several steps. She was hardly keeping balance as her legs were almost about to give out beneath her. Much as she tried, she wasn't able to hold back the emotions any longer. Tears were falling one by one onto the trampled grass in front of her feet before she buried her face in her hands. The entire world around her vanished. All she could see was darkness, all she could hear was an indistinguishable noise filling her ears. Then she felt a hand resting cautiously on her shoulder. She shrugged it off vehemently.

"I said I don't!" The words came out almost as a shout.

Yet there was one thing which had escaped her attention – the banished prince never gave up easily. This time he put an arm around her and cautiously tried to pull her closer, keeping in mind the thin borders.

At first Katara was completely immobilized, not fully aware of what was happening. She flinched and for a second she attempted to struggle, even thought of using her bending to knock him down and break free. Her mind was telling her to push him away and run, escape far from him, far from the world, but instead… she stopped fighting. She was to devastated to reject aid, even from him. Against her own will, she leaned in to relax in his embrace and started sobbing quietly, trying to muffle the sounds in his robe. The black fabric filled her hands in a tight grip and she clung to him, as if she were afraid he would suddenly push her away and leave. The change was so rapid that regardless of being aware of the fact that it was exactly what she needed, to some extent she was taken aback by her own reaction. Nonetheless, she was grateful for what he did. He simply stood there motionlessly in silence with his arms around her, waiting for her to let everything out. It felt somewhat strange to be comforted by someone who had been her foe for so long.

Zuko wasn't quite sure why he decided to make that move, since he knew that Katara plainly despised him. But he certainly wasn't able to stand there and watch her cry. He had to do _something_ to comfort her, even if it was connected with the risk of getting bruised or splashed with water. He was already drenched to the bone, so it wouldn't make much of a difference. Once she'd finally surrendered after the short struggle, he tightened the embrace involuntarily and this time she didn't seem affronted.

The firebender was still astounded at what he'd just witnessed. During this entire mission he finally got the chance to see what a powerful bender she was, without being forced to repel her attacks. He'd already seen her waterbending before, but this time it went beyond his expectations. Her bending resembled a wondrous fluid dance, full of passion and life, yet it was a lethal one. She was even capable of controlling the water _inside_ someone's body, which made her almost invincible. What impressed him the most was the fact that despite being driven by rage and the desire of revenge she was able to refrain from taking the life of her own mother's murderer. After all the suffering he had caused, she didn't lose her temper.

Once the worst was already behind her and she stopped sobbing, Zuko decided to break the silence. "Aang was right. This was the journey you had to take. It was brave of you to face him."

"Oh really?" she exclaimed in a breaking voice full of irony and freed herself from his embrace angrily. "Then why is he still alive?" she shouted, extending her arms. "Why did I do nothing to avenge my mother's death? It was my drive! After all these years when I finally get the chance to do it… I can't!"

The feeling of guilt and unfulfilled duty was consuming her from the inside, yet she wasn't blaming herself for having nearly killed a human being, but for having withdrawn from doing it. She'd seen so many atrocities during the war, she knew that in such circumstances morality hardly ever mattered… and it appeared that she still hadn't accustomed herself to the fact that violence was always fought with violence. Even the monster himself admitted that she deserved revenge. Before his retirement he must have murdered a number of innocent people in cold blood, not even flinching or hesitating, completely ignorant about their lives and relatives. Even his own family meant naught to him. Trying to shield himself with his mother… it was unthinkable, vile, abominable. His fake courage had diminished the moment he looked his opponent in the eye and was instantly replaced with pitiable cowardice. There were hundreds of likes of him in the world, spreading death and destruction, breaking families and planting evil in people's hearts. In all probability, most of them would justify it with the fact that they were obliged to carry out orders and obey their leader, yet it was only a poor excuse. So why not contribute to restoring the good by putting one of them to death? Only a person who had no idea about war could claim that thoughts like this meant utter lack of sensitivity, but Katara had experienced the pain. At war ethical values were flipped upside down, thus in many cases it was what guaranteed survival. Since the man had no scruples when he had taken her mother away, why should _she_ have them?

"Am I just too weak to end a life?" She hugged herself and dropped her head resignedly.

"That's nonsense." Zuko denied. "You're stronger than you think you are. And most importantly, you don't want to become him."

Katara opened her eyes and glanced up at him, her eyebrows still furrowed. Before she could reflect on his explanation, he continued.

"Throughout this whole mission I was convinced that what you needed was revenge and I wanted to help you achieve it. It wasn't until now that I realized I was wrong. Back in the camp I made light of Aang's advice, because it was simply naive. Maybe forgiveness really is a noble act, but definitely not in this case. But it looks like this time it was about something else and now I see the real reason why you didn't do it. If you had really avenged your mother by killing him, you would have become the same murderer as him. This is the source of your strength, not weakness."

Katara had never expected to hear such a thorough analysis coming from him. Ever since he'd joined the Gaang she hadn't paid much attention to anything he said, treating him as though he'd been invisible or too repulsive to talk to or look at. The most striking fact was that… he was actually right. Now that he shared his thoughts with her it dawned on her that it was the exact answer to her question. Had she completed her task, her hands would have been stained with blood forever. It didn't matter whether it was the blood of a murderer or of an innocent person. She wouldn't have been able to live peacefully, knowing that she'd spilled it in order to avenge her mother and sentenced a man to death for a crime committed years ago. A reason like this could be a perfect excuse only for such monsters like the one she'd just spared. It wouldn't have been the appropriate way of detaching herself from the past. On the contrary – the wound would have been only deepened.

'_While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself'_. The young Avatar's words finally became clear. Once again the monks' wisdom proved to be universal, at least the part about revenge. However, Aang's statement wasn't the reason why the ice daggers had suddenly frozen in mid-air mere inches from the raider's face. The words hadn't even flashed through her mind, so determined she'd been. The whole point was that she'd always known it deep inside, even if she hadn't been aware of it. And it truly wasn't something that could be called weakness.

Her painful expression softened and she cast her gaze down to the muddy ground beneath her feet, though she seemed not to see it. Keeping her eyes fixed on the path she nodded meekly and walked past the firebender, heading towards Appa's shelter. At the moment her only wish was to abandon the village and never come back, so she didn't even think of urging Zuko and carried on walking wordlessly.

After a while she heard him follow.

Step by step, lost in her thoughts, Katara moved on with the firebender at her side. The rain had been gradually turning into a light drizzle and soon they found themselves being engulfed by a cool mist. With every step they took it uncovered blurry silhouettes of trees. They were emerging from it one by one, marking the borders of the path. The color of the sky remained unchanged. Not a single patch of blue could be found in the endless grey canvas stretched above the benders' heads. Even though the rain had died down, the humidity in the air still kept their clothes soaked. Katara was dreaming of taking a hot bath and having a delicious warm meal while sitting by a campfire. The fatigue was making her eyelids grow heavy and her legs seemed to be moving on their own.

Zuko was in no better shape, yet he showed no sign of it. He felt strangely responsible for bringing Katara back safely and kept stealing glances at her from time to time to make sure she was alright. Luckily, she was too musing to be able to catch him doing it, otherwise she would have yelled at him. At least that was what he thought she would do. He had been hoping that after all these days of cooperation she would finally accept him. What else could he do to show her how anxious he was to regain her trust and to fix all his mistakes by helping people in need? On one hand her stubbornness and distrust were understandable. It was her who had been imprisoned with him in the Crystal Catacombs. Not Toph, not Sokka, not Aang. _Her_. She was the first person, excluding his Uncle, who had sincerely offered to help him… and he'd rejected her. Both in Ba Sing Se and after Azula had wounded Iroh. The mistake he'd made by joining his sister seemed to have burned the deepest hole in his heart. Not only had he betrayed his Uncle and Katara, but also himself. He'd been asking himself dozens of times what had induced him to ally with his enemy and destroy the life he'd started in the Earth Kingdom and never received a clear answer. All the effort he'd made to become a better person suddenly occurred to be worthless, wasted. Had Azula really had such a strong influence on him? She was cunning enough to fool anyone like a puppet master, but that didn't justify his deed. It had been a conscious choice. The most infuriating part was that apparently he had to go through all this suffering and return home to the Fire Nation to finally realize what he really wanted.

His decision to defy his father and join Team Avatar seemed to have started a revolution in his life. He had a new goal, a mission to fulfill, and this time he wouldn't balk. This time, he would set things right.

That was when his ears caught a vague sound. Zuko instantly came to a halt. After a while Katara noticed that he stayed behind and she turned around to see him sweep his eyes over the bushes closely.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently.

"Did you hear that?" he said, observing the trees.

At first she couldn't quite fathom what he was talking about… until she caught glimpse of a dark shadow skulking under the cover of the thicket. Katara and Zuko took their fighting stances and slowly closed the distance between them, keeping their eyes on the shrubs. The rustling of leaves could be heard again and they fixed their gazes on one spot, as a tall man with broad shoulders met their eyes. His clothes were nothing more than rags, though the red of them indicated on the owner being a Fire Nation citizen. His hollow eyes slowly traveled from one bender to another. In mere seconds they were surrounded by three more men, their appearance almost mirroring the one of their companion's. There was one exception, though. All three of them were armed. Their weapons ranged from a simple kitchen knife to a long machete, undoubtedly stolen.

Neither Katara nor Zuko… nor any of the men dared to say a word. Finally, the first one of them spoke. "Well well well, look who we have here, boys. Apparently they're looking for trouble." The men laughed derisively.

_Someone has found trouble, indeed, but it's not us_, thought Zuko. The situation reminded him of the day he'd found his Uncle surrounded by earthbenders, cuffed and ostensibly defenseless. Yet again he was outnumbered, but additionally with a master waterbender by his side, _they_ were clearly outmatched.

"What d'you think, they've got some gold?" one of them asked.

"Sure they do. Look at these _fine_ black robes. Though the little bird wearing them is worth taking a look at, too." the other one said, his eyes boring into the girl.

Katara gritted her teeth. She was in no mood for dealing with a bunch of thieves. If they really wanted to intimidate or rob randomly encountered travelers, they could at least put some effort into it. They were pathetic, just like _him_. And _he_ had been just what she'd expected: wretched, craven, empty. Her frown deepened as she waited for the men to make their first move.

"Have you fools finished chatting?" the unarmed one snapped. "It's time to play."

Suddenly, without any warning, a ball of flames came rushing towards the two. They quickly dodged and launched a counter-attack. Katara skillfully bended the dew, which had settled on every single leaf and blade of grass. The opponent she was facing stood no chance against her. Soon he ended up frozen to a trunk of tree, unconscious. Then her water whip smacked the attacker charging towards Zuko before he managed to raise his machete to strike the firebender. Knocked out by the sudden blow he hit the muddy ground, his weapon slipping out of his grasp.

A second later Zuko's fireball whistled past her and she felt the heat of fire colliding with fire right behind her. She collected water from the ground, coating her arms with her element, and spun around to face her opponent. The firebender turned out to be the first of the four thieves. With his previous attack blocked, he bared his teeth in a snarl and made another attempt on her. This time fire clashed with water and a hissing sound reached their ears. Not giving the man another chance Katara used her other hand to send him flying into a thick tree trunk, the water freezing him to it in less than a heartbeat. Zuko snatched up the knife he had taken away from his opponent almost without a fight and thrust it at the dazed man, who squeezed his eyes shut in panic. The blunt-edged blade sunk deep into the wood, pinning his sleeve to the tree.

"Let's go!" Zuko shouted to Katara, not waiting to watch the firebender struggle to pull the blade out.

Together they dashed along the path and soon reached Appa's hiding spot. Welcomed with a low growl, they mounted him hurriedly and Zuko quickly took the reins.

"Yip-yip!"

And then they were flying, flying away from that dreadful place. Katara glanced over her shoulder only to see the forest getting smaller and smaller, until it vanished behind the milky-white curtain of fog. It was almost beautiful. She didn't know what she actually felt. Did she feel relieved? She got rid of a huge burden and her heart seemed lighter. Maybe she felt empty? Or maybe it was just because of the fact that her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. Resting her elbows on the edge of the saddle she glanced at Zuko. She could only see his back and his dark hair being tousled by the wind. Several days ago she would have frowned upon seeing him, and now… his presence calmed her.

Something had definitely changed about her attitude to him. The remains of wrath that had still been dwelling inside her, evoked by confronting the Southern Raiders, veiled one very important issue like a dark curtain. Now that it was all over, she finally let herself turn her attention to the other aspect of the mission. She had been so hell-bent on finding Yon Rha that she hadn't been even ignoring Zuko deliberately, like she would do ever since he joined their group. It had not been the appropriate time for devoting her attention to teasing him mercilessly, let alone gloating over his failures or misfortunes.

In the aftermath, taking into consideration all the events that had led her to this day and Zuko's comment, it finally dawned on her that somehow he'd helped her discover a part of her. It struck her how much he'd done in order to regain her trust. First he'd helped Sokka bust her Dad out of prison and now… Had it not been for him, she would have never found her mom's killer. In both cases he had taken serious risk to help them. Not to mention that he hadn't left her side even once. It was reassuring to know that in that darkest hour he was there, that there was someone watching over her. She was not alone.

The conclusion was simple. Only by detaching herself from the painful past could she step into the future and find the peace of mind. This way she would be able to break the chains which had kept restraining her thoughts. She wanted to free herself from the grief, anger and resentment.

She averted her eyes and watched the dense fog below them instead.

"So, we're heading back to the camp, right?" she asked and almost immediately grimaced. That was not what she wanted to say.

"No, I've had a better spot in mind for a while now." he answered. "Ember Island. It's the perfect place for us to hide. I just want to check if it's safe."

The answer was not what she had expected, yet it was understandable. Staying in one place for a longer time, especially such an exposed place like their current camp, wouldn't be a good plan.

"You should get some rest now. We'll be there by nightfall." he added after a while.

If truth be told she did feel tired. She wasn't sure if it was because of the lack of sleep and the fight with the thieves… or the fight inside her. Yet one thing was clear to her. She still hadn't let something off her chest. A mild frown crept onto her face, reflecting her insecurity.

"Zuko?" she called tentatively, as if she were afraid to address him by his name.

"Yes?"

There was a short pause before Katara finally disposed of all hesitation. "I forgive you."

It took several seconds for Zuko to process the information. No, he hadn't misheard it. The words which had reached his ears were the ones he had been awaiting for so long. They sounded distant, almost like a whisper. He looked over his shoulder, yet his gaze only rested upon Appa's saddle and the grey cloudy sky stretched above it. She must have laid down and therefore she was beneath his line of sight. Still slightly stupefied, he turned his attention back to the distant horizon in front of him, however, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

* * *

She was standing under a dark cloudy sky, surrounded by tall trees, their branches so thick they created a solid wall. The place was eerily familiar. She looked around nervously, hoping with all her heart that it wasn't the place she had yearned to abandon so much. She realized she was all alone, excluding a twisted figure lying on the ground in front of her, several yards away. There was something queer about it. She squinted, trying to make out the exact shape of it. To her horror it was the limp body of her mother's killer, completely still and lifeless. Several long thick icicles were sticking out of his limbs and torso. The ice was quickly turning crimson.

Katara gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. _This is not happening. He's not real, I spared him_. She raised a hand to her face and immediately pulled it away. Her palm was sticky with blood. Both her hands were covered in the man's blood. Katara's breath quickened. _No, I didn't do it. I didn't…_ The silence ringing in her ears was almost deafening, even though the branches seemed to be swaying ominously in the wind. The body was still sprawled in front of her in a pool of scarlet blood. Katara shuddered in fear on spotting movement, but when she forced herself to focus her gaze on the corpse, it lied still. She closed her eyes again. _It was just a trick of the light. This isn't real._

When she opened them, the man was on his feet.

Her heart stopped beating. The paralyzing fear froze a sound in her throat before it had the chance to escape. The sight in front of her was terrifying. Blood was gushing from the wounds where the icicles dug deep into his body. His clothes were torn into shreds. There was no shimmer of light in the lifeless eyes which stared directly at her. Katara started to back away, though she seemed not to be moving away from the man. Desperate, she whirled and tried to run, but almost immediately stumbled, tripping on an invisible root and fell over, her bloody hands staining the dead grey grass. Her knee started throbbing, her vision was blurred by the tears pooling in her eyes.

As if given a silent signal, the trees began to close in on her. Katara let out a loud despairing sob. She didn't dare turn around, although she could feel his presence mere feet away from her. Her limbs felt like they were made of lead and she couldn't even stir. And as she was growing more and more faint, the trees kept creeping closer, and closer, and closer…

"Katara?"

The voice sounded familiar. She wanted to follow it, yet it seemed so distant it faded away instantly. The world around her was gradually dissolving into nothing. Even the ground beneath her knees felt more like quicksand, ready to pull her down into utter darkness.

"Katara!"

This time her eyes snapped open and focused on a worried Zuko looming over her.

"Is everything alright?"

Katara didn't answer. She sat up rapidly and brought a hand to her chest. She was panting heavily and her heart was still racing. She looked down at her palms. To her greatest relief they were clean. _It was a dream. Only a bad dream._ She was back in Appa's saddle, all safe and sound.

"What's happening?" Zuko asked again.

"Nothing," she said evasively. "Just a… bad dream, that's all."

She crawled to the edge of the saddle to look at the horizon. The fog had disappeared and the setting sun colored the clouds in all shades of red and orange. The surface of the ocean was tranquil, sparkling in the sun. The evening was reassuringly warm.

"So, we've arrived." she sighed and stood up to get a better look at the place.

They had landed on a large sandy beach surrounded by rocky cliffs basking in the light of the setting sun. Not so far away stood an impressive two-storey house, its red roofs blending with the orange colored bushes around. At first glance the place seemed abandoned and desolate.

The two benders hopped onto the black volcanic sand. Katara felt the soft warm ocean breeze in her hair. She turned to Zuko. "What exactly is this place?"

"It's my father's old house." he answered after a moment of hesitation. Bewildered, Katara sent him a searching look. "Relax, nobody has come here since our family was actually happy," he added quickly to calm her. "And that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."

Katara remained suspicious. "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

She felt slightly unconvinced. Could it be a trick? Another trap? _No, I have to stop being so paranoid_, she thought getting rid of pointless insinuations.

"I just… came here first to see if you'd accept this… new shelter." he added. "Plus, we need to make sure no one's in there."

Her opinion was important to him. That was a good sign, she thought.

Zuko glanced at the calm ocean behind them. "It's going to get dark soon. I guess we should spend the night here, so we'd better take a look around."

"Yes, you're right." Katara agreed. "Appa must be exhausted and we both need some sleep, too." Behind them the bison let out a low approving growl. She patted him gently on the snout. "Wait here, Appa. We'll be back soon."

They climbed along the path and soon reached the beach house. It seemed a little smaller than seen from a distance. The rich golden ornaments glistened in the already dying sunlight.

"I'll take a look at the rear." Zuko offered. "Appa can spend the night in the courtyard, so I'll fly up here later. Oh, and don't mind the front doors, it's… umm… my doing." And with these words he left her.

Puzzled, Katara stepped closer to the stone stairs leading to the entrance. To her astonishment, the richly ornamented doors were wide open, indeed. She raised her eyebrows, wondering why no one cared about an estate of the royal family. It appeared that the Fire Lord had more important issues on his mind than planning a vacation on the beach. She shrugged and stepped inside.

After a short reconnaissance she knew the place would serve as the perfect hideout for their group. The house was located far from any settlements, enveloped by a thicket of trees and shrubs providing a fine cover. Inside there were several rooms varying in size and furnishings. No one would be forced to sleep on the floor as the number of beds was just sufficient. Even the kitchen was well-equipped. If something was missing she could always search the cluttered rooms on the upper floor. The omnipresent cobwebs and thick coatings of dust didn't pose a serious nuisance. Nonetheless, Katara knew she would have to clean up a couple of places.

At the end of the corridor she found a roofed terrace overlooking the beach. The sun had already set and the first stars were coming out shyly. She watched them twinkle faintly like new-fallen snow in the sun. When the sky seemed to have darkened even more, something caught her eye. She spied Zuko walking down the path toward the beach. The topic wasn't closed yet, she was fully aware of it. She knew there was something she had to do, whether she was willing to do it or not, however, she didn't consider it as an unpleasant necessity. She bit her lip and walked towards the beach, trying to form sentences in her head.

By the time she reached him, he had sat down on the sand just by the water.

"Zuko?"

He shuddered at the sound of her voice and immediately stood up to face her.

Katara summoned up the courage to look into his eyes and suddenly forgot the whole speech she'd just prepared on her way to him. She folded her arms and started stammering. "Listen, I just came here to tell you… I wanted to say that…" She sighed resignedly. "Thank you. For everything you've done for me. You didn't have to put so much effort in helping me, and yet you did. It… it means a lot to me." she finished, already looking at the ocean behind him.

For a moment all she could hear was the soft swoosh of waves. Katara felt a bit uneasy and shifted her weight from foot to foot, awaiting his answer.

"It's just that… I do care what you think of me." Zuko spoke slowly, as if he feared her reaction. She raised her gaze again. "I assumed that somehow you connected your anger at the Fire Nation… for what they'd done to you… to your anger at me. And I know you had good reasons for that. Like… Ba Sing Se..." He lowered his head for a while. "I wanted to thank you too. For forgiving me. It must have been hard for you and I really appreciate it. I'm so glad you're… well, you're not talking to me with hatred anymore."

His words were sincere, she knew it.

"You're right, it was hard. It was hard for me to trust you again... for fear that you would change your mind, just like then." The prince looked away, wincing. "But after I've seen how you helped Aang with his firebending, how you helped Sokka… I mean, you literally went to jail after him…" she chuckled nervously. "…not to mention this mission. You've really found your own path… and I hope you'll stay on it." she admitted.

"So do I." he said with sadness in his voice. Then he held out his hand. "So… friends?"

She couldn't help but hesitate for a while. But eventually she shook his hand and smiled at him shyly. "Friends."

And then she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a quick embrace. It was like a sudden impulse, an urge of expressing her gratitude in the most sincere way. At first Zuko was utterly startled and his jaw hung open for a split second, but then, almost cautiously, he put his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes, sighing inwardly. Alas, as quickly as it all happened, Katara pulled away, one hand still resting on his shoulder as she watched him smile. The glint of gratitude in his eyes warmed her heart.

"We should go find us some place to sleep." she said, taking a step backwards.

"Right," he agreed, thankful for the change of the topic. The awkwardness of their interactions was striping him of his self-confidence. "There are several rooms so you can choose whichever suits you the best."

"I'll be fine so long as I find a nice comfortable bed. Those in the Western Air Temple felt more like planks of wood covered with fabric." she joked, rolling her eyes. Yet her thin smile quickly waned. "I'm just hoping for a peaceful sleep." she said, looking away. Then she turned around to head back to the house.

Zuko knew what she had in mind. It reminded him of his own nightmares back in Ba Sing Se. He was perfectly familiar with the taste of sleep disturbance.

The firebender turned towards the ocean again. He closed his eyes and listened to the waves crashing softly against the sand. He still couldn't believe that she'd actually forgiven him. The last time he felt so relieved was when they'd accepted him in their Team back in the Western Air Temple.

He smiled, knowing that things were about to change for the better, then turned away and quickly caught up with the waterbender.

"Was your nightmare about the recent events?" he asked.

Katara lowered her gaze as they carried on walking. "It doesn't matter. It's all over now." She focused her attention on the pebbles strewing the path. She gave one a light kick and it disappeared in the bushes.

"You're right, it is over." he agreed. "I'm sure you'll feel better tonight. You were just going through a difficult time." he said, wishing to successfully raise her spirits. He had been glad to see that it had helped Aang and Sokka before. He was hoping it would help her, too.

Katara sighed heavily. She wanted to believe him, as she was already tired of dealing with the ghosts of the past.

"I saw him again." she said quietly. "But this time… I ended him. He was dead right in front of me. And then…" she swallowed nervously. "…then he stood up… and came for me." Her voice was strangely calm and she kept it down. "I don't understand one thing. Why did such scenario come to my head after I spared him? It wouldn't have been weird if I had really finished the job, but since I hadn't…"

Her confession didn't take Zuko aback. His uncle had once told him that sometimes people make every effort to find the full and correct interpretation of their dreams. With multiple answers missing, some even fall back on fortunetelling and other miraculous methods. They are firmly convinced that every single dream has two meanings: the literal and the figurative meaning. Uncle believed that in many cases people try to discern the significance completely unnecessarily. _'Just as your eyes may deceive you, your mind's eyes may be treacherous, too'_, he would say.

"In my view, it doesn't depend on how things ended in real life. Such visions are the result of your emotional engagement. It's only happening because of the trauma you've encountered." Zuko said in a husky voice.

The waterbender resumed studying the stony path underneath her feet. A part of her ensured her that the nightmares were only caused by the turmoil in her mind and heart. She knew that sooner or later they would quit besetting her. Nevertheless, another part of her desired to share all these concerns and speak them out loud, for somehow she knew she would find understanding. And she wasn't mistaken.

"I assure you, once you clear your mind and get some well-deserved rest, you will no longer have to worry about bad dreams." he said, trying to finish with a more positive accent.

…and who would have thought she would find understanding in the banished prince of the Fire Nation. She still found it hard to believe. Everything had happened so fast on the recent days that she could barely catch up with her changing attitude and frames of mind. Hopefully, the serene atmosphere of heir new hideout would help her get over the conflicted feelings.

Once they reached the beach house Katara picked the first room she stumbled across. It was decorated in very simple fashion and poorly furnished, yet the bed looked better than the Air Nomads' ones. Bothering only to shake the dust off the coverlets and take off her boots she laid down on it unceremoniously. Much to her delight, the soft cozy cushions easily lulled her to sleep.

* * *

_**A/N:** I'm dying to know what your first impressions are. It will be an honor to read your reviews :)_

_Thank you for reading! Next chapter - coming soon.  
_


	2. Catharsis

**Chapter 2: Catharsis**

The summer sun was relatively high in the sky when Katara left her temporary bedroom. Her hair was slightly disheveled and still tied back in a ponytail. She felt drowsy, but not tired of sleeping. In comparison to several previous nights she had slept quite well, not bothered by any nightmares or dreams in general. Rubbing her eyes, she shuffled down the corridor, the wooden floor creaking under her heels. Upon entering the courtyard she raised her arms and stretched her spine, inhaling the warm morning air. To her right she spotted Appa lying comfortably near the fountain. He was growling happily as Zuko was feeding him ripe mangos.

"Okay, that's officially enough for now, buddy." the prince said as Appa sniffed loudly at the bag he was holding. "You've had your part of the breakfast." He patted him on the nose. As if in exchange a giant tongue moved over his arm, leaving a trail of saliva on it. Clearly pleased with himself, the bison let out another friendly growl as Zuko grimaced, trying to wipe the hand on his pants. He turned around on hearing a soft muffled laughter.

"He must really like you." Katara remarked, walking up to them.

A couple of days ago she had still found that fact unbearably annoying. Zuko had successfully gained the trust of everyone in the group and, to make things worse, Appa had seemed delighted to see him in the Western Air Temple. She couldn't understand why they all had had such a rapid change of heart.

Sokka and Aang had been by her side every time the prince had stepped in their way, excluding Ba Sing Se, and yet they had trusted him so easily. As for Toph, she had met him only once before the Invasion, so she had every right to believe there was good in him. However, she still hadn't bothered to avenge her burned feet, which was rather odd, taking into consideration her character. And Suki… Katara had been wondering numerous times why the Kiyoshi warrior had held no grudge against him, notwithstanding his direct responsibility for burning down her village. She had been too irritated to ask her about it personally.

That had left only her, the stubborn waterbender. She hadn't felt guilty of being the only one to look down on the banished prince. No, she hadn't felt guilty at all. She couldn't resign herself with the fact that he had truly redeemed himself. Scarcely could she bear it. But for what reason?

Zuko held out the bag to her. "Would you like some breakfast? I managed to save two mangos. That's all we have left." he said, as Katara reached for the bag. "There's a town nearby, but we need disguises."

"Right, and all my Fire Nation clothes remained in the camp." she said bitterly, taking a bite of the juicy fruit. "I can't go to the market like this." she raised her arms, glancing down at her blue Water Tribe tunic.

"That's why we should get back to the camp right away." Zuko suggested, crossing his arms. "It's already late."

"Well then – why didn't you wake me?" Katara asked pretentiously, frowning mildly.

He scratched the back of his head. "Uhh… I overslept." he answered sheepishly. Katara raised her eyebrows in surprise. "But even if I hadn't, I wouldn't have woken you anyway."

The girl opened her mouth to protest, but quickly refrained from it. Her frown softened. She bit into the fruit again to keep her mouth full.

Katara added a small change to their plan. The decision was made rather on impulse, since she hadn't considered the original idea the day before, but the firebender didn't object. According to the new plan, he was to fly on Appa to the camp and bring the rest of their team, while Katara would stay on Ember Island to take a better look at the place by herself. A little solitude was exactly what she needed now. From the moment she had set her eyes on the picturesque landscape of the island she could feel a type of positive energy within the area. The time here seemed to pass slower; slow enough for someone to stop for a while and escape from worldly concerns.

Summer was slowly coming to an end. It meant only one thing – Sozin's Comet. A small 'vacation' on the beach was a good way of waiting until the most hazardous period of time was over. As a matter of fact, Katara didn't approve of Aang's decision to fight the Fire Lord after the Comet's arrival, yet she understood his anxiety. Three seasons would never be enough to master all four elements. The young Avatar still had a lot of work ahead. Not to mention his blocked chakra, which was the reason for his incapability of reaching the Avatar State – the ultimate weapon.

Sometimes Katara had been wondering whether it was certainly the matter of a blocked chakra. One day, when they had been traveling across the Fire Nation, Aang recounted his meeting with Guru Pathik. He presented the entire theory connected with the seven chakras and the energy flowing through human body. The waterbender had been impressed with the fact that parts of human nature could be explained in such comprehensible way. She remembered how quiet Sokka grew upon hearing about the fourth chakra, his thoughts undoubtedly wandering off to Yue and Suki. Katara was most fascinated with the light chakra and the concept of the illusion of a divided world. It was exactly what Huu had told them at the Foggy Swamp. However, thinking of Aang's injury, she was unable to connect the facts.

According to Aang, it was impossible to enter the Avatar State due to the block of his seventh chakra, which provided access to all the cosmic energy, so essential for the Avatar Spirit. What baffled Katara was its location. The thought chakra was located at the crown of the head, whereas Azula's lightning had struck the airbender on the base of his spine – the location of the first chakra. To the best of her knowledge, the earth chakra dealt with survival and could be blocked by fear. Katara knew that deep inside Aang was afraid of facing the Fire Lord. It was natural and ought not to be considered as a source of shame. But it was the thought chakra which was directly connected with the spiritual energy, not the earth chakra.

Even though it seemed comprehensible at the beginning, it was fairly confusing when it came to pondering over Aang's deprivation of his Avatar powers. Katara wondered by what emotion the seventh chakra could be blocked. They never received the information from the young Avatar. Somehow he managed to skip that detail in his story, claiming it wasn't of great importance. It aroused her curiosity… as well as suspicion.

Perhaps the injury had no influence on chakras at all, or the other way round. Perhaps the problem lay elsewhere, not necessarily within the pools of energy. Perhaps it was something they were not aware of or able to understand. She hoped they would figure it out on time. And time was something they constantly lacked.

A dense cloud of dust rose from the stone floor of the courtyard as Appa ascended into the air with one strong beat of his tail. Katara shielded her eyes against the sun as she watched him soar through the infinite cerulean of the sky. She smiled at the thought that soon she would see Soka, Aang, Toph and Suki again. After a couple of days of separation she already missed them and hoped they were alright.

Traveling on the back of a sky bison Zuko would be back in no time, so Katara decided to go straight to the beach. Upon reaching the sand she took off her boots and let the tiny black grains slip between her toes. Holding her hands behind her back she ambled closer towards the water. The white crests of the gentle waves crashed softly against the shore, occasionally carrying smooth pebbles and seashells to the beach. Katara chose the perfect spot and sat down on the sand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the salty scent of the morning air. The refreshing breeze tugged at her tunic and played with her already loose hair.

Her thoughts drifted off to her beloved mother. It had been seven years since she lost her. Seven long years since she last saw her face. She would have done anything to hear her voice again, find shelter in her arms. A single tear appeared in the corner of her eye. No words could describe the grief she had experienced, no words of comfort could make her forget. She had finally learned the truth. Her mother had sacrificed herself so that she could survive.

The lone tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto her lap. Her mother's love had been stronger than fear. The life of her little daughter had been of greater value than her own. Would Kaya be proud of her for letting the murderer live? Suddenly Zuko's words flashed across her mind. _'You would have become the same murderer as him. This is the source of your strength, not weakness.'_ He was right. She had a hard time admitting it back then, but it was true. Years ago she would break down and cry at the thought that there was nothing she could do to change the course of events. But now she was finally letting go.

She wiped her cheek dry with the back of her hand. It was time to move on. Her mother had never truly abandoned her. She was and would always be there, in a special place in her heart. Katara brought a hand to her necklace. She could sense the outlines of the carving under her finger tips. She raised her gaze to the open water in front of her, squinting in the blinding sunlight. "Thank you, mom." she whispered, and the wind carried her words away.

Slender seagulls screamed noisily, gliding effortlessly above the surface of the ocean. They played, chased each other, hovering with the help of air currents. Now and again they would dive into the blue waters like sharp arrows sinking into the target, only to flutter their way back into the air with a fish in their beak. They looked so carefree. They reminded her of an equally joyous airbender.

Katara never expected Aang to understand her initial need of vengeance. She could not blame him for being a thirteen-year-old boy raised by monks. Apparently the values which he had been taught were so deeply rooted in his heart that they muffled the grief and rage. They kept his extreme emotions leashed, or at least he claimed so.

Since he was so convinced that it was wrong to let these emotions take control of you, why did Katara always have to force him out of the Avatar State? Had it not been for her, in all probability he would have let his sandstorm consume the sandbenders in Si Wong Desert. His wrath had been so intense he accused his friends of not caring about Appa and went so far as to leave them alone surrounded by miles of sand stretching in every direction. During their journey there had been numerous situations when Aang acted most recklessly, paying no heed to the monks' teachings.

And what about that lecture on forgiveness? How could he even suggest it? Katara wondered if he had ever forgiven the Fire Nation for wiping out the Air Nomads, or the sandbenders for kidnapping Appa. She understood his pain, she had done her best to comfort him, help him endure through the hardest times. Back in the camp he asserted that he understood her, but it had been far from the truth, even though he wasn't aware of it. In fact, he had been concerned more about Yon Rha than her, trying to make sure she would not make an attempt on the murderer's life. It hurt her. The young airbender had always been close to her heart, yet his attitude hurt her. Bad.

Katara grimaced at the realization that her anger was directed at a boy. A young lighthearted boy who was supposed to detach himself from the world like all airbenders before him, but who was also burdened with the Avatar's responsibilities and the loss of his family. She tried not to blame him. After all, she cared about him more than she would care about his mistakes.

This in turn caused her thoughts to wander off to Zuko. And these thoughts were the most tangled and puzzling. Katara sighed deeply at the reminiscence of the last weeks. The road to forgiveness had been grueling and bumpy.

With Zuko's each successful attempt of helping someone in their group, or the group as whole, she had been growing more and more exasperated. She saw it as nothing but an evil plan of making them all let their guard down, one by one. Thus, they would not be aware of his subsequent attack. She had felt like a prey being stalked by a patient predator. She promised herself she would not be just another tick on his list, that she would not be as gullible as _back then_. She recalled Sokka praising her distrustfulness and wariness in the Western Air Temple, but even he tried to persuade her to open her eyes.

"You're always the one trying to see the good in people." he'd said. "Why can't you see it in him? He saved us from Combustion Man (partly, at least), he's teaching Aang firebending and now he brought Dad and Suki back. What else do you want him to do? Beg on his knees for your forgiveness?"

_Even that wouldn't help, _Katara thought back then. In her eyes the banished prince didn't deserve a second chance. Now that she looked back at all the recent events when their path crossed, she seemed to have found the answer to her stubbornness. Back in the Western Air Temple she had been infuriated with everyone for treating him like an ordinary member of their team. She had been especially annoyed with Toph for her careless attitude and being the first one to openly defend the firebender.

'_Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly'._ Back in the Temple the earthbender's statement had had hardly any impact on her. Only now could she see how true it was. The roots of her resentment went back to the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

Her feelings _had been_ hurt there. She had taken Zuko's betrayal personally. Him being indirectly responsible for Aang's fatal injury was one thing. Yet the source of her grudge lay elsewhere. It was her betrayed trust that had slashed the deepest gash in her heart. Whether she was more furious with the prince's final decision or with herself for being so naïve as to trust him, she could not tell. Nonetheless, she had put all the blame and anger on him.

For one wonderful moment she had stopped seeing him as the Fire Lord's son. She saw him as a wounded young man who truly understood her, who had tasted the ache of losing his mother. She truly sympathized with him. He listened to her while she was telling him about her mother, he didn't shout back at her while she was sputtering insults at him. For that short moment she hoped that he had truly changed. She wanted to believe. It still remained a mystery for her why the final change had come so late._ 'Better late than never'_, Aang would say.

The reason was of no significance now. What mattered was his redemption. Yes, Katara had finally acknowledged it. It had taken a whole journey almost back to the South Pole to make her surrender and give up her no longer reasonable aversion. Even Zuko himself admitted that she had had good reasons for laying out all her rage on him. The memories of last winter came flashing back to her.

She was on Kiyoshi Island, seeing him standing amidst the blazing houses… then she was protecting Aang from him at the North Pole… finally she saw her mother's necklace dangling from his hand as she tried to free herself from the knots that bound her to a tree… Was it really him? Or maybe some other person, now long gone. She wondered how such a diametrical transformation was even possible. It seemed almost unbelievable. And yet… the evidence had been standing right in front of her on the very same morning.

Katara let herself fall unceremoniously on her back with a resigned grunt. The sand was gradually heating up in the rays of the morning summer sun which shone brightly through her closed eyelids. Lazily, she covered her eyes with a forearm.

She would always shield herself from the truth whenever Zuko had proven himself. The morning after Azula had raided the Western Air Temple she felt something tugging at her heart. When she learned that he had been waiting in front of her tent all night, her angry frown turned into a conflicted one. Could it be… echoes of a guilty conscience? It had quickly sunk into oblivion once she heard what he intended to say about her mother.

He had been so engaged in helping her, so persistent struggling to regain her trust. _'I do care what you think of me,_' she recalled his words again. Her insults and churlish remarks never discouraged him from being kind to her. Moreover, never once did he talk back to her. She could not fathom how such a volatile person could be so patient and so humble. It would make her red with anger back then. And now… she was impressed, almost respectful.

Tired of brooding on the past Katara took a quick refreshing bath in the ocean. She had been yearning for it since she left the former leader of the Southern Raiders sprawled in the mud on his way back home. The cool water washed off all the weariness of the travel and brought back a smile to her face.

Filled with new energy, the waterbender picked up her garments and shook them out to let the ubiquitous grains of sand fall to the ground. Having made sure she didn't leave any belongings behind, she strolled the path leading to the beach house.

Now with the daylight illuminating the building it contrasted strongly with the vivid green of the scrub around it. Katara halted in the porch to dress up. Sitting on the pleasantly warm stone steps she tucked loose strands of hair behind her ears and leaned forward to put on her boots.

From the corner of her eye she glimpsed a small round object lying on her left at the edge of a step. Curious, Katara cocked her head, her eyebrow arched. She got back on her feet and picked up the item to examine it. In her hands was a plaster cast with an imprint of a child's palm. She didn't expect to come across this kind of artefact in the Fire Lord's beach house. _It must be a family memento_, she thought. The imprint was very small and Katara smiled warmly, imagining the lovely toddler that had impressed its tiny hand in plaster. Perhaps it had been Zuko himself? Or Azula? Last night the prince bitterly mentioned something about the happy times his family had spent here. They must have been in much better relations back then. Katara tried to imagine a little Azula playing with her brother on the beach, but her attempt failed.

Tracing the outline of the imprint with her slender fingers she entered the building. Her eyes swept over the spacious interior. She stepped forward to place the cast on a small chest of drawers below an empty frame hanging on the wall. She intended to take a better look at the upper floor. She walked past the room she had spent the night in and climbed up the wooden stairs. She reached a dark narrow corridor, empty, but for one lone chest of drawers.

The first two rooms she peeked into were twins to the one on the ground floor. All of them were most neglected, dreary, full of rickety furniture. They might have served as spare rooms or guest 'quarters', since the decorations were rather scanty (if there were any). It appeared that Ozai took no interest in his guests' comfort. Somehow, it didn't surprise her.

The next two rooms were in slightly better condition. Both boasted tall canopy beds and impressively carved wardrobes, but also the same layers of dust on every piece of furniture. By the time Katara reached the door of the last room at the end of the corridor she sneezed thrice. Sniffing, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed carefully, lest a cloud of dust rise from the floor. She beheld a large sunlit bedroom decorated with faded fraying tapestries. The most noticeable was a cozy-looking canopy bed, large enough for three persons to sleep in it comfortably.

Had it not been for the awful mess, the room could actually be called snug. The floor was littered with rags and yellowed scrolls of paper. The once scarlet bed curtains were now faded and threadbare. On the tea table stood a candlestick with five half-burnt-out candles. And then something drew Katara's attention. She walked inside, heading for the wall where two portraits hanged in opulent frames.

Suddenly the silence was broken by a clattering noise. A violent shiver went down her spine and she leapt backwards, searching for the source of the sound. Her gaze fell on a golden chalice lying on the carpet. She must have accidentally knocked it with her foot. Shaking off the fright Katara stepped closer to the wall, trying to avoid treading on any other object.

Almost immediately she recognized one of the portraits – Fire Lord Ozai. A fierce frown contorted her face. The Fire Lord's expression was stoic, but one could notice a hint of pride in his barely distinguishable smirk. His smooth chiseled features looked terribly fake. Obviously, the painter had no other choice but to portray him as an unsullied ruler, in both meanings of this word.

Katara closed her eyes in aversion for a moment before turning to the other painting hanging right beside the first one. It presented a woman whose long straight hair was tied in traditional Fire Nation fashion and adorned with a flame-shaped headpiece. Her face was oval and flawless. _She's beautiful_, Katara thought, though the woman's expression was filled with sorrow and pain.

_Could it really be…?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar roar. Without hesitation Katara beamed with joy at the sound. Not wasting another second she dashed along the corridor, then down the stairs and into the courtyard.

They had just landed.

* * *

_**A/N:** So, the second chapter's here. Thank you very much for the positive reviews, it's nice to know that you like the story. Now that Katara and Zuko have arrived on Ember Island, the action is going to slow down a bit. But I'll try not to make it boring :)_

_Now something about the plot. Some of you may be surprised with the fact that Zuko simply overslept in my story, even though he 'rises with the sun'. In most fanfictions people claim that he always gets up early, because of that one sentence (this was of course the episode 'The Siege of the North'). Well, I have a different opinion. I think that this statement only referred to his firebending and simply meant that Zuko grows stronger when the sun rises._

_As for chakras, I didn't mention it in the story, but the fourth chakra deals with love and can be blocked by grief (you can look it up on avatar wiki). That would explain Sokka's reaction._

_I'm also trying to make the chapters' titles ambiguous. It was noticeable in the first one (can you guess the two meanings behind it?), but I kinda failed in this one.  
_

_Anyway, thank you for reading. Please, review!_


	3. Echoes From the Past, part 1

**Chapter 3: Echoes From the Past, part 1**

Katara leaned her hand against a beam, a wide smile of relief gracing her features. Even though she had been gone for a few days only, seeing her friends' jubilant faces seemed to untie the last knot in her stomach. Appa lowered himself onto his belly, allowing Sokka, Suki, Aang and Toph hop out of the saddle.

Sokka was the first one to reach her. He was wearing his Fire Nation outfit. "The minute I saw Zuko in one piece I knew everything had gone smoothly." he said with a playful grin. Katara folded her arms and sent him a pitiful look, tilting her head. The Water Tribe warrior stepped closer and held out his hand, lowering his eyelids and smiling warmly. "How are you, little sis?"

She returned the smile and grasped his forearm. "I'm doing fine, big brother." Sokka then pulled her into a loving embrace. Katara rested her head in the crook of his neck. She didn't realize how much she missed it.

"Awh, this is so sweet…" said Suki as they pulled apart.

"Yeah, Sokka, I didn't know you had it in you." Toph added with a hint of playful mockery in her voice.

"We're so glad to see you're alright" Suki turned to Katara, resting her hands on Toph and Aang's shoulders.

"Zuko told us what you did," Aang chimed in. "…or what you didn't do, I guess." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm proud of you. Forgiveness is the first step you need to take to begin healing."

Katara couldn't help but snort and shake her head. She was surprised that he still clung to this solution. _I knew you wouldn't understand_, she thought, _unlike him_. She cast a short glance at Zuko who was leaning against Appa's paw with his arms crossed. "But I didn't forgive him." she denied, turning to the airbender. "Aang, I never will." Seeing his concerned expression, she added "But none of it matters now, does it? I got over it. I left the past behind."

"Now that's what we wanted to hear!" Toph exclaimed triumphantly.

Aang opened his mouth intending to speak, his grey orbs locked on Katara's sapphire eyes. Yet no words escaped his throat.

"Good, now that everyone's happy, can we finally get something to eat? I'm absolutely famished!"

"Sokka, you know you're not the only one who's famished." Suki complained.

"Wait, you didn't bring any food?" Katara asked anxiously.

"Whoah there, Sweetness, I thought that Snoozles was the only one here who's obsessed on food." Toph teased.

"I'm not obsessed on food!" Katara and Sokka denied simultaneously. Toph only chortled.

"We've run out of supplies. Zuko told us there's a town nearby, so we were planning to go shopping right away." said Suki.

"I would have done it for you before, if I'd had my Fire Nation clothes with me."

"That's alright. We already know the directions," she turned to Sokka. "…and we should be on our way." she urged.

"Are you sure you'll have no problem finding it?" Katara asked with a hint of concern.

"Of course." Sokka assured her. "It's not so far from here. We'll get plenty of meat… and we'll get Suki some new clothes." he said as the girl glanced down at the long frayed shirt she had been given in prison. "We're in the enemy territory and everyone needs their disguise." he pointed a finger at the sky.

"Whatever you say, oh great Master of Disguise." Suki teased, triggering a wave of suppressed laughter.

"I gotta say, Suki, you're getting better and better at this." Toph admitted, shaking her head respectfully.

Sokka grimaced and strutted towards Appa. "Let's just get going, shall we?"

Suki muffled a laughter and followed him. Bewildered, Katara cast Aang and Toph a searching gaze. "Did I miss something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, not much." Aang answered in a lighthearted voice. "Toph is just teaching Suki 'the art of nicknames'."

Katara glanced at Suki who flung Sokka's black hooded travel cloak on. "I see…" she said slowly, nodding approvingly. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing again.

"Alright then," Sokka called out, weighing a pouch in his hand. "We're off to spend some money. See you guys later… at a very late breakfast!" He strolled away with Suki, sharing his thoughts with her and throwing his arms up in the air. All Katara could hear was '…finally some normal breakfast…' and then Suki's loud snort.

"You should feel flattered, Katara," Toph pointed out. "Sokka prefers _your_ cooking over Suki's."

Katara giggled softly. "Do you want me to show you around a bit?"

"Yeah, sure!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully.

Katara turned to the firebender standing silently behind them. "Zuko, will you be around?"

His head snapped to attention. "Yes, I was just going to unpack." He answered and climbed into Appa's saddle.

Aang smiled dazzlingly at Katara while Toph arched her eyebrows.

"What?" the waterbender asked innocently.

"You two are finally getting along. That's great!" Aang exclaimed.

"Yeah, looks like it." she said, returning his smile.

* * *

"Isn't it weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Aang chuckled.

He was upstairs in Ozai's bedroom together with Toph and Katara. The earthbender was sprawled lazily on the large bed, her feet dangling from its edge, while Katara was gazing thoughtfully at the portraits.

"Zuko ensured us that no one had come here for years." she answered, keeping her eyes fixed on the paintings, as her thinking was interrupted again.

"I know. I'm just saying it feels a bit… odd." he remarked, fumbling with the heavy window curtains. "Can you imagine what would have happened if the Fire Lord suddenly decided to go on a little vacation? Here?" he gave a short laugh. It was soon muffled by the scarlet fabric which suddenly came off the curtain rod and fell on the unaware airbender.

Katara turned around at the noise and rolled her eyes, smiling faintly.

While Aang struggled to untangle himself from the material, Toph sat up abruptly on the bed.

"Can you smell it?" she asked. Katara sniffed around, trying to catch a scent. "Someone's cooking fish. Sokka and Suki must be back!" She leapt down onto the floor and rushed down the corridor, while Katara crossed the room to come to Aang's rescue.

In the courtyard Sokka was taking out pieces of fish from a large pot and placing them on the plates which Suki was holding for him. She was clad in her new Fire Nation outfit. She wore a brown clingy top, knee-length baggy pants partly covered with a dark split skirt. On her hips was a fiery-red belt and her arms were adorned with stylish armbands.

Sokka noticed the three running towards him. "Ladies and dear gentleman, you're right on time. Lunch is served. Please, take your seats." he said with artificial courtesy.

_You forgot your beard and mustache, Wang Fire_, Katara thought, laughing together with her friends. They took their seats on the stone steps.

"Wow, that must have been some shopping!" Katara remarked, looking at a stack of fruits lying on a large platter. "And how did you find the plates anyway?" she asked mischievously, crossing her arms. Her brother had never been eager to do the work which normally women were responsible for.

"Hey, you girls are not the only ones who know where the kitchen is." Sokka bridled. "They were hidden in the cupboard. There's a lot of great stuff in this house. I even found some chopsticks."

Suki handed the fish to everyone and sat down beside Sokka who started eating his portion away the minute he received the plate. He looked as if he hadn't had anything in mouth for days.

"That's weird, Sokka. I assumed you would let _Katara_ prepare the food today." said Toph, adjusting the chopsticks in her hand. "Or were you just so hungry you couldn't wait for her?"

Sokka cast a wary glance at Suki who straightened her skirt and smiled smugly. "What? Why wouldn't I allow Suki to do it?" he stammered nervously, shrugging his shoulders. "I love her cooking!" He stuck another piece of fish in his mouth and moaned in delight to emphasize the fact. For a moment he stopped chewing and a curious expression crossed his face. Then he lightened up and looked down at his plate, smiling wildly.

"Oh, then I guess I'm just imagining things." Toph answered nonchalantly, as he started to wolf down his meal with new passion.

Katara shook her head in amusement and swallowed another bite. Her brother was being so fussy at times. In her opinion the fish was seasoned perfectly.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Suki, putting her plate aside. "Aang, we have a surprise for you!" A mysterious smile appeared on her face.

The airbender straightened up rapidly and swallowed hurriedly. "Really? I love surprises!" he exclaimed, beaming.

"Sokka?" Suki turned to the warrior who peeked at her questioningly, chewing. The girl crossed her arms, expressing her impatience. "You were supposed to show Aang the surprise." she reminded him coolly.

"Sorry," he swallowed, "but I'm a bit busy here, savoring m'lady's heavenly dish." He thrust the plate into her face. Suki knitted her eyebrows. "What? I'm not kidding!"

The Kiyoshi warrior rolled her eyes and reached into his pocket only to rapidly pull it out and stick it behind her back. No one managed to distinguish what she was clutching. She got on her feet and approached the baffled airbender from behind to stand over him. "Okay, Aang, are you ready?"

"Umm… I guess so." the boy mumbled insecurely. As soon as he spoke out the words, his vision went black. He felt something delicately scratching at his scalp. Oh his head was a piece of fabric… a cap, perhaps? A muffled laughter erupted around him.

"That was a great idea." he heard Katara say.

"Okay, what just happened?" Toph asked, irritated.

Aang pulled the cloth off his head and held it in one hand to watch it closely. He smiled in astonishment. In his hand was—

"A hat!" he exclaimed. "It looks just like Dock's. Or Xu's." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Or was it Bushi's?" He recalled the crazy, but friendly puny man they had met in the village of Jang Hui.

"We just figured out that since you can't wear a headband anymore, you could use something that would let you show yourself to the world again someday." Sokka explained.

Aang remembered how outraged he had been, forced to wear a headband to cover his tattoo at the very beginning of their journey across the Fire Nation. He felt as if he had been deprived of a part of his identity. However, he was ashamed of his outburst on the deck of the ship. It had been hard to resign himself with the situation, yet eventually he understood that it was inevitable to mask any sign indicating on his roots. Even if it meant giving up his pride.

"Thanks, guys." he said, placing the hat on his lap. "I'm sure it'll come in handy."

They heard footsteps and soon Zuko was seen coming out of the kitchen, carrying a large platter with six steaming cups of tea.

"Zuko, it's good you're here!" Aang waved at him excitedly. "When will you teach me some real advanced techniques?"

Surprised with the sudden question, the firebender stopped in his tracks. "Quit being so quick-tempered. I was thinking of doing a training tomorrow in the morning." he said, crouching beside Toph to let her take a cup.

"Tomorrow?" Aang was plainly disappointed. "I was hoping you could show me some new moves today." Unsatisfied, he nibbled at his portion of fish.

"Don't worry, Aang. You can train with me today." said Katara, who just received her tea from Zuko.

"Nah, I don't think I want to." he mumbled resignedly, looking away. "I've already mastered waterbending. Right now I need to focus my attention on firebending."

Katara lifted her eyebrows in bewilderment. Aang always wanted to move on to more sophisticated and elaborate sets, paying no special attention to the quality of his training. Yet she never expected him to refuse a waterbending practice. It reminded her of his first experience with firebending… and its consequences. She looked away, bitterly, lowering her cup.

Not only Katara was astonished with his statement. "Oh really, Mister Splash Master? I guess it's Sifu Katara's job to tell if you really have." Toph remarked.

"But I've been training non-stop for the past few days!" the airbender complained. "I've been working my arrow off."

"_But_ you certainly haven't had enough firebending, have you?" the earthbender pointed out.

"That's different. I can hardly learn anything when I have to practice by myself." he argued. "Zuko has been busy going on field trips recently. Not that there's anything wrong with field trips!" he added hurriedly, forcing a smile.

"Well, if you want we can just spar awhile for fun." Katara suggested. "Practice and entertainment in one." She remembered how well Aang responded to positive teaching experience.

The young Avatar brightened up. "Well, okay."

"Good." Katara took a sip from her cup. Her eyes widened in surprise when she tasted the tea. "Zuko, this is delicious!" she exclaimed in delight, looking up at the prince. "Where did you learn to make such good tea?"

"That's obvious," Toph answered for him. "His uncle taught him, right Zuko?"

Taken aback by Katara's compliment, Zuko muttered "…I never thought anyone would actually find my tea tasty. Thanks." A faint smile appeared on his face.

It appeared the weeks he had spent both in Pao's Tea Shop and the Jasmine Dragon granted him a new skill. For the short time after his visit to the Dai Li headquarters, deep beneath Lake Laogai, he had been taking pleasure in brewing tea. Not only had it baffled him, but also his uncle. Iroh had quickly recovered from the initial bewilderment and was most pleased with the metamorphosis. He could finally share his enthusiasm with a member of his family. Zuko had got so engaged in the work that the days seemed to pass by unbelievably fast. He no longer considered serving other people as dishonor. It had become a part of his life. Each day he had been learning something new about the tradition of brewing tea. Each day he had been improving his skills. His strongest motivation was the growing smile on Iroh's face. Seeing his contribution to his uncle's enthusiasm for work was a reward itself and it gladdened him to bring joy to the kindly man.

Hearing the words of praise from Katara had much the same effect.

"Well well well, look at you two – you finally made it!" Sokka remarked between the bites.

Katara's head snapped to attention while Zuko, now serving the tea to Aang, stopped his cup in mid-air. They both looked quizzically at Sokka.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked.

"Isn't that obvious? You're finally talking to each other! These field trips work like a dream! You started getting along."

"Well, yeah." she answered, tucking her hair behind an ear, as Zuko resumed serving tea and sat down beside Aang. "Obviously."

"Well, it wasn't that obvious in the first place." Aang pointed out, blowing carefully at his cup. "You always had been looking daggers at Zuko. Uhh… to say the least," he said, smiling sheepishly. Katara's expression remained blunt. What made you change your mind?"

"You took a field trip with Zuko, too. Then you must know." she replied, sipping her tea casually.

"That's not the same." he argued, cocking his head. "Both Sokka and I already accepted Zuko's company before our trips, and you… well, you were—"

"Geeez, Twinkletoes, you need to stop being so annoying." Toph interrupted him roughly, successfully silencing the inquisitive monk. "It's obvious that Zuko helped Katara take a step out of the past, she already told you that. This couldn't have ended differently."

"That's right. Thank you, Toph." the waterbender peered at her over her cup.

"I don't know how you're doing this, Zuko," Sokka threw in, "but it seems that you've got _it_. Come on, what's your little secret? Your inner charm?" he teased.

Everyone laughed under their breaths while Zuko opened his mouth, not quite sure how he should answer. He was rescued by Katara who quickly changed the topic. "So, you already know what happened, right?"

"Yeah, we forced Zuko to tell us everything in detail," said Sokka. "But now shush. With all this talking you guys won't even let me enjoy the food."

Katara raised her gaze to the sky. Even if her brother really meant to drag her attention to eating and not divert it from the issue, she was still thankful. She was glad she wasn't forced to recount all the events she had gone through. Holding her cup with both hands she closed her eyes and took another sip of tea.

* * *

When their stomachs were finally full and the plates were clean and shiny, Team Avatar parted. Sokka and Suki decided to go for a stroll along the beach. They announced that they would explore a bit farther, not wanting to interfere in the waterbending training, or being interfered. Katara and Aang promised to stay in the vicinity of the pier.

Toph and Zuko remained on their seats with an awkward silence between them. Zuko's gaze wandered lazily from the large pot on his left, the bored girl, who already started picking her toes, and a towering cliff wall enclosing the rectangular courtyard from one side, to the dried-up neglected fountain and the stack of fruits on his right. He noticed a thin furry little paw sticking from behind the pillar he was leaning against. It was reaching blindly for the juicy mangos, missing them by a good foot. Momo's efforts were amusingly futile.

"Sokka was right. These field trips really do the job." Toph said suddenly and Zuko's attention was deflected from the lemur.

He turned his head to the earthbender. Her milky-green eyes stared blindly at the ground as she fumbled with her feet. They were perfectly healed now. The prince was still cursing his temper for what had happened the night she crept up to his camp in the forest by the Western Air Temple. He swore he would humbly accept any revenge she had in mind for him, even though she had threatened him with a hint of amusement, indicating that she meant no serious harm. By now he had still been waiting for what seemed to be inevitable, not daring to hope for mercy.

"Who would have thought that one such trip could flip everything upside down…" Toph continued. The only answer she heard was utter silence. "I bet you're glad that Katara doesn't hate you anymore." she added nonchalantly.

_What is she driving at?_ Zuko wondered, slightly irritated. He didn't want to be considered as ill-mannered and let out a single short 'mhm'. Toph raised one eyebrow and stopped her picking for a moment.

"Got anything else to say about it?"

"And what would you possibly like to hear?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"I already told you everything in the morning."

Slightly frustrated, Toph blew her unruly raven-black hair away from her face and switched her attention back to her grubby feet.

Zuko was never in mood for having pointless conversations. He turned his head to his right again and his gaze fell on the platter with fruits again. One of the mangos was missing.

The prince let out a weary sigh and hung his head. Everyone was busy doing activities they enjoyed. Everyone seemed delighted with their new hideout. Everyone except for him.

He was the only one to see the place as more than a free holiday resort. People were flooding to Ember Island to escape from everyday life (usually as luxurious as their temporary apartments), have fun on the beach (since living in the wealthy districts of the Capital was too boring for them) and make new friends (only to forget about them once the holiday should come to an end). This attitude Zuko could never understand. He always considered doing nothing as a waste of time. He needed something that would keep him occupied, lest his thoughts should turn to a place where they were not welcome. _He_ would not welcome them there. There, in a place called the past.

The beach house used to be an oasis of peace, a spot he had loved to visit as a child. His happiest childhood memories had been connected with this house. Alas, it had been the earliest years of his life and most of the reminiscences had already vanished. What remained were mere shreds of memories of what once used to be his childhood.

Later the peace had begun to crumble. His father had discovered Azula's talent and immediately announced her as a prodigy. Meanwhile the young Zuko had been gaining consciousness of what genuinely mattered in his family. And it certainly wasn't its happiness. To make matters worse, his cousin Lu Ten had left for battle to aid Iroh in the Great Siege of Ba Sing Se, leaving the little Zuko all alone. Only his mother had remained by his side, yet not for long.

Neither Azula nor Zuko had had genuine childhood friends. They were royalty, therefore they had been allowed to befriend the children of high-ranking generals, admirals or governors and all nobles of their kind only. Even during their vacations they would hardly ever leave the shelter of the beach house. If they had, they mainly observed the world from behind the curtains of their palanquins, forbidden to speak to anyone not fit to stay in presence of the royal family.

Only few were granted this honor. Mai and Ty Lee, for instance, were fully entitled to roam the Royal Palace. Zuko and Azula's acquaintance with Mai was especially opportune. Her being the governor's daughter facilitated the relations between Ozai and his subjects. Yet neither Mai nor Ty Lee could be called real friends back then.

Toph was still fiddling with her toes when Zuko stood up. He had to find an occupation. The problem was – there were not too many options. He ran a hand through his hair and headed for the exit from the courtyard. When he reached the doorway he heard a voice behind him.

"See you later then, chatterbox."

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Well, the chapters seem to be getting shorter… but that's only because I'm not really into rushing things. Don't worry, you can be sure that I won't forget that it's supposed to be a zutara fanfiction.

And in this chapter the rest of Team Avatar finally shows up. As for Toph's nickname for Zuko, no offence to the author of the idea, but I really dislike "Sparky". You won't see it mentioned in my story.

I hope you haven't found any grammar mistakes. Until next time!


	4. Echoes From the Past, part 2

**Chapter 4: Echoes From the Past, part 2**

The cold water washed her ankles, causing goose prickles to spread over her skin. Her long brown curls waved in the refreshing ocean breeze, brushing against her bare shoulders. Sapphire eyes snapped open and Katara lifted her arms, taking the fighting stance. In front of her Aang mirrored her move.

"Let's start from a little sparring then, shall we?"

Without waiting for the answer she swiftly raised a huge wave and sent hundreds of icicles sharp as daggers flying like deathly arrows in the airbender's direction. He quickly formed a shield of solid ice in front of him, causing the icicles to shatter against it and turn into a rain of needles. Katara's next attack was almost lazy.

She was making sure that they practiced all moves they were familiar with, including the most sophisticated ones. Aang could rant on and on about firebending and fun, but she had no intention of yielding. Much to her satisfaction her student lived up to her expectations. He had made enormous progress and she was hugely proud of him. The water whip, the octopus form, water cloak… he had mastered them all. There was nothing she could surprise him with.

* * *

The sun had already set when Katara carefully climbed the stairs to the upper floor of the beach house. She hoped she would finally take a proper look at what was in the largest room in the building.

_Third time lucky, _she thought, stepping over the threshold. Darkness was seeping into the room from outside, creating an ominous mood. Dim silvery moonlight slanted through the windows, setting aglow the tiny flakes of dust floating in the air. The long heavy curtains, the ones which still remained on the rod, billowed in the wind while the wooden floor creaked under her feet like a wailing creature. Katara walked up to the open drawers only to find nothing inside. Even the bookcase was empty. The only exception was the wardrobe, where she found spare sheets and blankets which were moth-eaten, likewise the scarlet bed curtains.

Watching her step, she approached the wall where the two paintings hanged. In the dim light it was harder to distinguish Ursa's delicate features, yet she still looked beautiful. The portrait was almost mesmerizing. As a cool gust of wind sneaked into the room through the open shutters, Katara's thoughts turned back to the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko's story had been a very brief one, yet she could sense that the background was far more complex and probably more painful. She had been too shy and confused to ask about the details then. What she knew was that Zuko had been a nine-year-old boy when his mother disappeared. She vanished overnight, into the blue. She hadn't left any note, any letter. His father had ceased to speak of her and there had been no one Zuko could turn to and receive answers. It was a mystery no one dared to speak of.

Katara had been shocked after hearing the story. It had completely changed the way she perceived the situation. Although the consciousness that her mother was forever gone was heart-wrenching, she could not imagine how Zuko felt, having absolutely no information concerning _his_ mother's fate. Were she him, she would probably fall into sheer insanity and cross the length and breadth of the world in search for the truth. Meanwhile, the prince had seemed so calm, so composed while recounting the events. Either he had resigned himself with the loss, or he put every effort into preventing his emotions from taking over and coming to light.

'_That's something we have in common,'_ she recalled his words.

She had to know.

She rushed down the stairs and headed for the entrance doors at quickened pace. She halted in front of the stone stairs. Resting her hands on hips she tried to decide where she should begin her search. Wherever Zuko had chosen to go, he would not flee from the impact this house had on him. Katara had noticed it the moment he brought the rest of the group to the island. He was even more reserved than usual, which was unusually disturbing. During lunch he hadn't spoken a word, staring constantly into his plate. Yesterday she could see the aversion in his narrow eyes whenever his gaze fell on the building.

Biting her lip, she looked around, the moonlight glowing in her deep blue eyes. And then she noticed him – he was leaning against the balustrade on the roofed terrace to her right.

The stars were already coming out in the sky as she stood on the threshold at the end of the corridor. The cold of the night sent shivers up her spine and she instinctively crossed her arms. The wind was tugging fiercely at Zuko's robe as he stood hunched in the corner of the terrace, unmoving.

He must have felt her presence, for he straightened up slowly and turned around. If he was surprised to see her, he did not express it.

"Hi." Katara called briefly, taking a step forward.

"Hi." he replied in a hoarse voice, as if it hadn't been used for months.

"Can I join you?" she asked shyly, cocking her head.

"Um… yeah, sure."

She walked up to the balustrade and leaned against it, too. She looked at the black ocean stretching far up to the horizon. Dark silhouettes of palm trees swayed gently in the wind, wrapped in pale moonlight. The distant swoosh of waves added a dash of melancholy to the evening landscape.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" she said dreamily.

"Mhm." Zuko murmured.

Katara didn't want to beat about the bush. "Zuko, why did you bring us here even though you evidently hate this place?" she asked, taking a sideways glance at him.

He frowned. Yet another person attempted to have a conversation with him that day. "I already told you, it's the perfect place for us to hide. Nobody has come here for years and the island is not so far away from the capital." he answered, his gaze fixed on the ocean in front of them. After a while he added, "What makes you think I hate it, anyway?" He looked away.

"Frankly, you make it quite obvious." she said with a hint of a smile, trying to add a grain of humor to the conversation. Alas, it did not bring the desired effect. She frowned resignedly. So she had been right after all.

She carried on. "Ever since we've come here you've been even more down than usual. I know you probably don't want to talk about it," she fumbled with the wooden splinters on the balustrade, "…but I can't stand seeing you like this. Not after everything you've done in order to help _me_ get over what I felt."

She watched the frown disappear from his face. He looked conflicted, as if he were weighing the pros and cons of sharing his thoughts with her.

"You don't have any debt to pay off, if that's what you think."

"No. It's not." she denied. "I just want to help you."

Zuko tensed upon hearing the last words. Yet again she was offering her help to him. He had always admired it about her. Even though he had followed them from one end of the world to the other, it hadn't stopped her from showing compassion to him, like in the 'ghost town' of Tu Zin.

It had been the first time she was ready to give him a hand. For one short while she had crossed the border between her and the enemy. She would have healed his uncle much faster, he knew it. Yet they had still been foes back then, due to his obsession on capturing Aang. He remembered almost too well how desperate he'd been, not having the faintest notion how to accelerate Iroh's recovery. His thoughts had wandered off to the kind waterbender many times before his uncle had eventually awoken. Many times had he blamed himself for the accident. She had been so close… and yet so far.

The second time… yes, at the very reminiscence of that moment Zuko would always feel a pang in his heart. The second time she had offered to heal his scar. During many lonely nights aboard the ship, which was bringing him back home, he kept visiting the Crystal Catacombs unconsciously in his mind. He would recall her bitter accusations, the tears glistening in her wide sapphire eyes, the sudden change in the tone of her voice when she apologized to him. The time they had spent amidst the emerald crystals, one-to-one, had been relatively short. However, the impact it had on him, and judging by what he recently experienced on his own skin – not only him, was much bigger and more significant.

It wasn't only the matter of the flicker of hope which had flared up in his heart, the hope that he could once and for all be freed from his cursed mark. It had been Katara herself. She had been livid at first, it was a fact. Yet in the end she had nearly seemed to be exuding goodness and kindness. Kindness he had hardly ever experienced. The faces of Ursa and Iroh flashed across his mind. He had the impression that Katara quite often acted motherly. _'The people of the Water Tribe have a deep sense of community and love', _his Uncle had once stated. Zuko could see it in her on a number of occasions.

He had been trapped deep beneath the city, with no way out, while his sister was taking control of the Earth Kingdom capital, and for the first time ever he had been opening his soul to a girl he used to pursue not so long ago. Something about her had quietly assured him that she was the right person, that he could freely confide in her and not be rejected.

And he wasn't. Until _he_ decided to reject the new life he had started.

Beside him Katara shifted from foot to foot. Something was telling him that she wouldn't let go easily. _Always so stubborn…_

"I used to come here with my family every summer." he said as she raised her head. "This is where we would spend each vacation. Honestly, I don't remember much of it, but I know I enjoyed it… when we were still a normal family." The tone of his voice was bitter. "This place is unbearably boring and dreary in most of the memories. That's because everything was changing as we were getting older, Azula and I. Father would devote all his attention to her while I would spend most of the time with my mother."

Katara stirred involuntarily at the mention of Ursa. The wind that played with her long hair made it land on her chin and she absently brushed it aside. "This sounds a bit strange." she remarked. "Don't misunderstand me, it's just that… I, for example, used to spend more time with mom, while Sokka went hunting with dad, or something. Why was it the other way round in your family?" she wondered. Perhaps in Fire Nation children were brought up in a different way than it the Water Tribe…

"Father had always favored Azula." Zuko answered almost instantly. "In his eyes she was a prodigy. Honestly, it was hard to disagree." He flexed the fingers of his right hand. "Everything was a piece of cake for her, while I had to struggle to equal her."_ That's what's made me who I am, _he recalled_. _"He used to say I brought him nothing but shame and only Azula could make up for it."

The last sentences slipped out on impulse. The firebender grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to bore Katara with his life story… and deject himself in the process. He strongly disliked recounting the past and his miserable life, therefore he would seldom agree on it and almost never do it of his own free will. It made him feel vulnerable… and exposed.

Katara felt even colder after reflecting on his words. Toph's statement about his 'messed-up family' had just been confirmed once again, yet not the way she expected. No wonder why Zuko felt so depressed about staying on the island.

"This whole place makes you wonder what would have been if things had turned out differently." she said in a hushed voice.

That was when he finally looked at her. His expression was a mixture of sorrow and anger. Katara was stunned with how different he looked now that she had disposed of the hatred she'd felt for him. Even the scar was less distinctive for her than usual. She could see the silvery moonlight reflected in his golden eyes. Eyes which she used to associate with the enemy not so long ago. Eyes which did not linger on hers for long, for Zuko soon fixed them on the balustrade. Katara felt a knot in her stomach.

"I don't know whether things would have been different…" He sighed quietly. "… if my mother was here."

After all the events subsequent to her banishment the prince found it impossible to envision a different life. The life where she would have still been by his side. She had been the only person who could make each vacation on Ember Island endurable. He used to play with her on the beach, listen to her stories and every time the world around seemed to fade away. There was only the mother and her son. Together. Inseparable.

The reminiscence of Ursa's soft laughter sent a jolt of pain through his heart. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to hear it again, to find himself in her tender embrace and feel loved again. He clenched his fists and choked back the tears before they managed to betray him.

_I must be tormenting him_, Katara thought, suddenly abashed. She grasped her forearm and looked away. "I'm sorry." she mumbled.

Zuko looked at her quizzically. "What are you sorry for?" There was no grudge in his voice, only confusion and… kindness?

"Well…" she struggled to choose the best words, but instead she ended up giving a frustrated grunt. "I wish there was something I could do to help. But since you had told me there's even no information on whether she's—"

She hung her head. Would that it was as 'easy' as destroying the factory which had been once polluting the Jang Hui river. She tangled herself up with no idea how to deal with the topic she had started.

"Actually, that news is a bit obsolete." she heard him say.

A shiver went through her body. She gave him a puzzled look, afraid to hear the explanation.

Zuko sighed silently. "On the Day of Black Sun, before I left home, I learned from my father that… she had been banished." he said, unwilling to go into detail.

Her eyes widened. _Banished?_ Such an outcome she had expected the least. That could only mean…

Katara straightened up abruptly, a wild glimmer in her large eyes. "But Zuko, if she was banished… then she could still…" She almost smiled at him in excitement.

"I know." the prince whispered. His bleak expression, however, did not mirror Katara's enthusiasm. He turned his head away from her and gazed into space. "But it's been so long. I know that banishment is not necessarily connected with—"

The words froze in his throat. He could almost feel them blocking it, making it hard to swallow. He was unable to say it out loud. "…but neither does it ensure me that I can still find her… alive." He closed his eyes, knitting his eyebrows.

"Don't say that." Katara replied hurriedly, frowning. His words made her feel awfully helpless. Had he lost all his hope already?

She pursed her lips. "You must never give up." she said firmly.

Zuko let out a small snort. "Trust me, in any other situation you wouldn't have to tell me twice. But this is different." he argued resignedly.

Katara was bewildered. "How is it different?" She brought a hand to her forehead, furrowing her eyebrows. "Look, I can't say that I completely understand you, because I probably never will," she explained, grimacing. "But there's one thing you cannot give up. There's always hope."

She received no answer.

The firebender was nearly at the point of turning away from her and leaving. He had grown tired of going through it all over again. Those were _his_ concerns and he never shared them with anyone. Why wouldn't they simply leave him be? Why was Katara suddenly so interested in his personal life?

_Because she hadn't given up on me._

He pinched the bridge of his nose. There was absolutely no reason to be mad at her. Deep down he appreciated her efforts. He was truly grateful for the opportunity to confess to someone who would hear him out, someone who showed empathy towards him.

He turned his head away, defeated.

"I'll help you find her."

Her voice cut through the motionless silence like a whip, bringing him back to reality. Completely stunned, he turned to face her, his eyes wide as two round gold pieces. "What?" The word came out more quiet than he'd expected.

"You heard me – we're going to find your mother." she stated, resting her hands on hips. A warm smile played on her lips.

The rapid beating of his heart filled his ears as he stared at her, hardly believing in what he'd just heard. "You would really do that?" he mumbled. "For me?"

"Of course." she answered. Her deep blue eyes were so honest. "I never turn my back on people who need me."

Katara could swear she glimpsed the shadow of a weak smile run across his face, as he said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you."

He was rewarded with another gorgeous smile of hers.

* * *

_**A/N:** __So... the offer has been made. Katara states that she'd like to help Zuko find his mother. I'm not sure if it was a good move to introduce this topic, because I have no idea when (or even 'whether') I will be able to write something about the search. There are too many events which need to be mentioned before that. But let's not worry about it now._

_Hope you enjoyed reading. Don't forget to let me know what you think of the story so far :)_


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